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Giants fall to Browns, 35-14
By Michael Eisen, Giants.com

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OCTOBER 13, 2008

CLEVELAND - The Giants' reign of success away from home hit a roadblock Monday night

Playing without the crisp execution on offense and sturdiness on defense that had been hallmarks of their eight-game winning streak, including four in the postseason, the Giants fell to the Cleveland Browns, 35-14, on the winner's home field.

The offense committed three turnovers (all on Eli Manning interceptions) and scored just two touchdowns despite four tips inside the Cleveland 10-yard line. The defense surrendered 454 yards, had neither a sack nor a takeaway, never forced a punt and enabled the Browns to convert nine of 13 third-down opportunities, a 69 percent success rate.

"I'm disappointed, obviously, very disappointed," Coach Tom Coughlin said. "We make no excuses. We lost a game that we didn't play well enough to win.

"We lost the physical battle and we lost the battle of turnovers. The very things that we had done extremely well to get us in the position we were in, we didn't do well tonight. I give them credit. They played hard."

So did the Giants, but they didn't play well. And that bothered them as much as losing the game.

"It's just the way we played," Manning said. "You might lose a game every once in a while. That's part of football. But we don't like coming out here and playing this type of football. It's not the way we've been playing this season and last season. It just wasn't very good, and that's what's disappointing. It's not the fact that we lost, but how we lost and the way we didn't give it our best shot."

"That really wasn't the New York Giants football that we know," center Shaun O'Hara said. "At the same time, you have to give them credit. They played a great game. They brought their 'A' game. They were at home on Monday night and their backs were against the wall."

The defeat was the Giants' first since the 2007 regular season finale against New England and dropped their record this year to 4-1. It also ended their road winning streak at 11 games (eight regular season, three postseason), which was tied for the second-longest in NFL history. Including Super Bowl XLII, the Giants had won 12 consecutive games away from their home field.

Derek Anderson threw touchdown passes to Darnell Dinkins and Braylon Edwards, Jamal Lewis ran in for another score and Phil Dawson kicked two field goals for the Browns, who improved to 2-3. Anderson threw for 310 yards and Edwards caught five passes for 154 yards.

Brandon Jacobs scored on a seven-yard run and Manning threw a short touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress for the Giants. Manning's third interception was a backbreaker by cornerback Eric Wright, who returned the ball 94 yards for the touchdown that gave the Browns a 21-point lead with 8:07 remaining.

The Giants, desperately trying to get back into the game, moved from their own 14-yard line to the Cleveland nine, largely on the accuracy of Manning's passing arm. But on second-and-four, Manning's pass to the right side for Amani Toomer was swiped by Wright, who sprinted up the left sideline. He sidestepped Manning's attempt to shove him out of bounds and didn't stop until he reached the end zone. Anderson threw to Edwards for the two-point conversion that put Cleveland ahead, 35-14.

"It was a bad decision," Manning said of the interception. "It wasn't an awful throw. They covered it well. I tried to bide some time and put it in a spot for Toomer to make the catch, and (Wright) just undercut it and made the play."

Edwards' 11-yard touchdown catch expanded Cleveland's lead to 27-14 on the first play of the fourth quarter. On first down, Edwards lined up on the right side and quickly found himself alone in the end zone after Aaron Ross slipped because he suffered cramps. Anderson fired a strike to the uncovered Edwards for the score.

"I got a hand on him," Ross said. "I tried to explode a little bit and my calves cramped up and I couldn't move any more. It was a bad situation."

The touchdown successfully concluded a 14-play, 87-yard drive that was the longest by a Giants opponent this season. The Browns marched down the field despite being flagged for five penalties on the series.

Anderson completed three consecutive passes midway through the drive, two to tight end Steve Heiden for 28 yards, followed by a 14-yarder to Edwards that put Cleveland on the Giants' 33-yard line. Anderson connected with Jerome Harrison for 18 yards on the final play of the third quarter. After the teams moved to the other end of the field, Anderson and Edwards hooked up for the touchdown.

Dawson's 26-yard field goal increased the Browns' lead to 20-14 with 11:55 remaining in the third quarter. The five-play, 38-yard drive was set up by Brandon McDonald's interception of Manning's long pass for Burress on the first play of the half. The turnover was particularly bothersome to the Giants, because they had scored just before halftime to cut their deficit to three points.

"I thought our drive before the half when it was 17-14 was the spark we needed," Coughlin said. "I thought after we came back after the half with the kickoff that we would be able to put ourselves in position to take the lead. It didn't happen."

McDonald returned the ball 21 yards to the Giants' 46.

"It was a bad throw by me," Manning said. "He had a post route. I knew I had the right coverage, but I didn't throw it to the middle of the field enough. I threw it too far to the outside. It was the coverage we were looking for and I just threw a bad ball."

Cleveland used a little razzle-dazzle on the second play of the series as Anderson handed off to Joshua Cribbs, who gave the ball to Harrison, who ran for 33 yards to the 13. But Anderson's third down pass into the end zone for Donte' Stallworth was incomplete and Dawson came on to kick his second field goal.

Manning's three-yard touchdown pass to Burress brought the Giants to within 17-14 just 12 seconds before halftime. On first and goal, Burress got a step ahead of nickel back Terry Cousin running left across the end zone. Manning floated a perfect pass that Burress caught two steps shy of the sideline for the score.

Manning again demonstrated he has few peers in running a hurry-up offense in leading the Giants on a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive in 2:03. He completed six of eight passes for 65 yards on the series, including his first four for 56 yards, all to Steve Smith. Derrick Ward's seven-yard run and Manning's six-yard pass to Domenik Hixon gave the Giants a first down at the three. After the Giants used their final timeout, Manning threw to Burress for the score.

The Browns increased their lead to 17-7 on Anderson's 22-yard touchdown pass to Dinkins, who played for the Giants in 2002 and 2003.

On first down, Dinkins lined up on the left side, ran down the center of the field two steps ahead of Antonio Pierce and caught the ball at the goal line.

Cleveland drove 77 yards in nine plays following a Giants punt. Anderson threw two passes totaling 22 yards to Heiden, plus a 22-yarder to Syndric Steptoe, the latter on the play immediately preceding Dinkins' touchdown.

Lewis' four-yard touchdown run gave the Browns their second lead at 10-7 with 11:10 remaining in the second quarter. On second-and-goal, Lewis took a handoff, turned to the right side and stepped into the end zone untouched.

The score concluded a three-play, 74-yard drive that enabled the Browns to counter the Giants' first touchdown in only 59 seconds. The first play of the series was huge, as Anderson threw a long pass up the right side that Edwards turned into a 70-yard gain. Edwards got behind Ross, caught the ball at the 22 and was finally tackled by Ross at the four. Lewis scored two plays later.

The 70-yard pass was the longest play by a Giants opponent since Dec. 24, 2005, when Washington quarterback Patrick Ramsey threw a 72-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss.

The Giants took a 7-3 lead on Brandon Jacobs' seven-yard touchdown run with 12:09 remaining in the second quarter. On first-and-goal, Jacobs took a pitch to the left side and turned up field. Safety Mike Adams stepped in front of Jacobs at the three and was absolutely steamrolled for his trouble, as Jacobs ran right over him on his way to the end zone.

The score capped a six-play, 58-yard drive after Dawson's 51-yard field goal attempt was wide left. The series began with Manning's 24-yard pass down the seam to Kevin Boss on the final play of the first quarter. After the teams switched sides, Ward ran three times for 23 yards, including a 17-yard gain. Manning then picked up the first down with a four-yard pass to Steve Smith. Jacobs scored his fourth touchdown of the season on the next play.

Dawson's 28-yard field goal gave Cleveland a 3-0 lead on the game's opening possession. Before the kick, the Browns traveled 69 yards in eight plays, the longest a 49-yard pass from Anderson to Edwards that was the biggest gain against the Giants this season until their second-quarter hookup.

Edwards was tackled by James Butler on the Giants' 25-yard line. Two Lewis runs advanced the ball to the 12, but Eric Steinbach's false start penalty pushed Cleveland back five yards. A six-yard pass to Stallworth left the Browns well short of the first down, but easily within Dawson's range.